


Ruins of a Ruler

by thesammtimes



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Villain, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Brave Parody, Disney Parody, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 07:45:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14184225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesammtimes/pseuds/thesammtimes
Summary: Mor'du was once a human prince, the eldest of four brothers, all the sons of a wise king beloved by his people.





	Ruins of a Ruler

Mor'du was once a human prince, the eldest of four brothers, all the sons of a wise king beloved by his people. One dark autumn, the king grew ill. On his deathbed, the king requested the kingdom be divided among his four sons, so together they could be the pillars that would hold it together and maintain peace. Alas, the first brother felt that, as the eldest and the technical heir, he alone had the right to rule the whole kingdom and a seed of selfishness grew in him like a poison. To his brothers he claimed his right to rule and demanded their obedience, shattering the bonds of their brotherhood by breaking the family stone.

Words turned to war. Brother turned against brother in a war fought on four sides that changed the kingdom forever. While the eldest prince commanded a powerful army, the battle remained a bitter stalemate. Starving for victory, the prince cursed his fate and stalked the woods until he came to an ancient circle of stones. The Will-o-the-wisps appeared and led him to a dark loch where, not far from the shore, was the cottage of a witch. He demanded from her a spell that could change his fate. The strength of ten men he desired, and to persuade her he offered his signet ring. The bargain was struck though the Witch could see his wounded soul. She completed the spell in the form of a potion but offered him a choice: To fulfill his dark wish or heal the bonds of family he had broken.

The prince baited his brothers with the false promise of truce, but when they met in their father’s throne room he once again declared himself the sole ruler and demanded their obedience. When his brothers defied him again, he drank the spell, which immediately took effect. To his surprise however, it transformed him into a great black bear. Only by mending the bonds torn by pride could he break the spell. Instead he accepted the form of the monster and slew his brothers in cold blood.

He returned to command his army, but they saw only the dreaded beast and so turned against him. He slaughtered a great many while the rest fled the kingdom in terror. With the armies of the brothers fractured the kingdom fell to darkness and ruin, and the blight of the Great Black, Mor'du, fell across his domain.  
_______

You were riding your horse through the deepest part of the forest. You leaned your head back and let the soft breeze blow through your hair. Tears were silently running down your face as you stared at the trees blazing past you. Your hands tightened on the reigns and you kicked your horse, encouraging him to go faster. How deep was the forest? Could you possibly just run from all of your problems?

You noticed that the line of trees ahead of you were coming to an end, there was a clearing. You started to slow down a bit as you noticed the remains of a castle towards the back of the clearing. How long had you been riding?

You took your horse to the broken walls of the castle and hopped down. You walked the length of the wall, taking in the enormity of this castle. Where exactly were you? You were trying to remember your history lessons, but nothing rang a bell as to who this castle may have belonged to. You ran your hand along the wall, whoever it belonged to had great work done.

Your horse began stirring next to you, he became restless and was desperately trying to back away from you. You looked at him curiously, “What’s your problem, Angus?” You asked him, you tried to pull his neck to you and rubbed it comfortingly. It was to no avail, the horse bucked up and reared away from you. His reigns were yanked from out of your hands and he took off running the opposite direction.

“You have got to be kidding me…” You said out loud. A deep growl answered you from behind. 

You slowly turned around to see yourself face to face with a silver wolf. His haunches were raised and he bared his teeth and snapped at you. You swallowed thickly, and slowly reached for your bow sitting on your back. The second you moved, however, the wolf jumped for attack. You closed your eyes and waited for it’s body to land on your own, but the collision never happened.

You opened your eyes and saw a tall, broad back standing in front of you. The man had his sword raised and was staring at the wolf intently. A rumble came from the bottom of his throat and the wolf immediately ran away. The man turned around and you were startled by how young he was. He wasn’t just young he was incredibly attractive. His brown eyes took you in before he finally spoke, “What are you doing here?” He asked, his tone a bit harsh.

You had to force yourself to find your voice again. “I…I was riding my horse and came upon this castle. I had gotten off to take a break when my horse was spooked by the wolf.” You looked behind you forlornly, “He took off running. I’m sure he’ll come back, but I have no idea where he went or where I am.”

“Where are you from?” He asked sharply.

“DunBroch,” you answered hesitantly.

He eyed you sharply, “You are quite a ways away from home.” He looked up in the sky and sighed, “the sun is setting. You’re going to have to stay here if you don’t want any more encounters with the wolves.” He began to walk along the wall, ushering you to follow him.  
You followed, but your mind was racing. Here was this random stranger offering you a place to stay for the night. Should you take it? “Wait! Do you actually live here?” You couldn’t believe the castle could still be lived in it had become so run down.

He nodded as he continued his brisk walk past the wall and towards the castle’s entrance. You followed him into the huge ruins, amazed at how much was still standing. Indeed, the separate rooms of the castle still seemed to be in tact. He led you up a staircase to what you assumed used to be guest rooms. He opened the heavy wooden door and ushered you inside.

You stepped in and looked around. You imagined this room had once been very beautiful. The wood used to make the bedroom furniture had hand carvings all along it and the paintings on the walls still had quite a bit of color to them.

“I don’t have visitors very often.” He spoke behind you. “But you are welcome to stay here for the night.”

You turned around and gave him a genuine smile, “Thank you so much for offering me your hospitality. I can’t believe I lost track of time like this.”

He nodded, not seeming to care about your excuse. His eyes darted to the window behind you, the sun was almost below the clouds. He walked over to the dresser and pulled out blankets and candles. He set a candle up for you and found a starter to light it. He handed it to you. “I apologize for the dust, but everything you need should be in here. I have to go take care of some things, I’ll come get you in the morning and show you how to get back home.” He turned to head out of the door.

“Wait!” He stopped and looked at you anxiously, “Can I at least know your name?” You asked him before he could leave you.

He smiled at you and your heart immediately stopped. The smile on his face brought a different look to the man altogether. It was gorgeous. He was gorgeous. Your stomach did a little flip and you instinctively grabbed it. “You can call me Kai.” He told you.

You nodded and swallowed hard, still spinning from his dazzling grin, “Thank you, Kai.”

He nodded and gave you a little bow before shutting the door of your room for the night.

You looked around, and began to clean up with on of the spare sheets you found in the dresser. 

You always had a problem falling asleep so you spent most of the night bringing the room back to the shine it had once held. You looked around at your handy work and smiled. You had been right, this castle had once held an enormous amount of beauty and grace.

You shook out the blankets and laid down to rest for the night, your body tired from the long day it had gone through. You could see the moon shining outside in the sky from the window and you smiled. It was the first night in months that you had been able to fall into a comfortable sleep and not have a fear in the world. 

You woke up with a start as there was a light knocking on your door. The sun lit your room, but you frowned as you noticed how low it seemed in the sky from your window. What time was it? The knocking happened again and this time the door opened and Kai peeked his head inside.  
“I’m sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were still alive…” He joked when he noticed you were awake.

You sat up and stretched, “What time is it?”

“Almost 4.”

You looked at him in shock. “Are you joking? I’ve slept the entire day! Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry! You could have woke me up!”

He laughed and that smile of his had your stomach flipping all over again “I tried. You’re a pretty heavy sleeper; I’ve been up here at least three times.”

You blushed and hopped off of the bed, “I’m so sorry. I…I can’t remember the last time I had such a good night’s sleep, actually.” You admitted to him as you slipped your boots back on.

He smiled at you, “Well I’m glad you were able to rest. Come with me I have something to show you.”

You followed Kai through his castle and outside towards what you assumed used to be the stables. You were right when you noticed some scattered hay and stalls built into the wooden building you were walking towards. As you got closer a familiar brown head poked up in the stall.

“Angus!” You called as you ran to your horse. The big dummy was sitting in the open stall and could easily get out, but must have made a bed for himself there. You rubbed his neck affectionately. “You crazy horse, don’t leave me again!” You scolded lightly as the horse nudged you with his nose.

“He hasn’t left that spot all day. And also, he hates me.” Kai spoke up from a distance behind you. You laughed as you noticed he fearfully eyed Angus.

“I’m sorry, he doesn’t like men very much.” You told him as your horse made some noises and went back to munching on some hay he had found. You walked over to Kai and gave him a warm smile, “Thank you so much for your hospitality last night. I’m sorry you had to house some strange girl.”

He shook his head and began walking back up to the castle, you followed quickly behind him. “It’s not a problem. It gets kind of lonely anyway.” He spoke quietly. “I caught some fish this morning by the creek. I cooked them up for dinner. And I have some fresh water and berries. Sorry it isn’t much. The castle is not exactly fully staffed anymore.”

By this time you had both made it back inside the covered remains of the castle. He took you to what must have been the banquet hall, but only one lone table remained. He had, indeed, made dinner and lit some candles along the table.

You sat down and took his cue to immediately dig into the food. You hadn’t realized how hungry you had been before you took your first bite and suddenly you were ravished. You ate everything you could get your hands on and more. You took a break and sipped some water, watching Kai shove food in his mouth as a king would. “Can I ask you something that probably shouldn’t be asked at a dinner table?”

Kai looked up at you curiously before shrugging and continuing to eat his fish.

“What happened to this kingdom?”

That got him to take a break. He swallowed what was in his mouth and eyed you for a long time before finally speaking. “The last king to rule this castle was prideful and stupid. He ran his kingdom into the ground. Literally.” His eyes grew dark and distant as he told you this. You wondered how he ended up being here alone. His clothing told you he had to be some sort of royalty, but seeing that dark look on his face made you stop your questions.

“My turn.” He spoke up, bringing you out of your own thoughts. “Since you’ll obviously need to stay here another night I suppose I should know your name.”

You smiled, “_____.” You answered him.

“DunBroch is your last name?”

You nodded in reply, shoving a few more berries in your mouth.

“So you’re a princess?”

It was your turn to be quiet. You really didn’t know this man, if he knew the truth he may try to hold you for ransom. However, as you stared into his dark eyes, you knew he wasn’t that kind of person. You nodded again. “I am the only princess at the castle.” You answered.

He sat back, taking this information in, “So how is it,” he asked you, “the only princess of the castle ends up lost in the forest over 4 hours away from home?”

You looked at him in shock, “4 hours? Are you sure?”

He nodded, “If you had been riding that horse, that’s the fastest you could have gotten here.”  
You were amazed, had you truly lost track of time? You had never ridden Angus away while being so angry before. “Wow…I had no idea I had ridden so long.”

Kai sat up at his seat and piled the metal plates together on the table. “I’ll take you home,” he stated simply. “I know these lands better than anyone, I can get you home safely and quickly.”

You bowed your head, a bit embarrassed and how much you seemed to be putting him out. “Thank you, you really don’t have to. I’m a big girl, I can follow directions.”

He shook his head again, “It’s not you getting lost that I’m worried about.”

“Well, I have my bow.”

“And a lot of good that did you with the wolf. There’s much worse things in those woods, you know.”

“Are you talking about the legends? I don’t believe in that stuff.” You brushed him off and stacked your plate on top of the pile he had made.

You looked up to find him staring at you, the dark gaze back in his eyes, “Well you should.” He said shortly before grabbing your arm and leading you back to your room. “I’ll make sure we leave with plenty of time to get back to your kingdom before sun down.” He told you as you reached your room’s door.

You nodded and looked up at him, “I’m sorry to have caused you so much trouble. I’m sure my dad can repay you somehow.”

He shook his head at you again, but this time his breath-taking smile appeared on his face, “You’re not a bother, _____.” When he spoke your name, you felt your knees grow weak and you had to grab the door frame. “I’ve been alone for so long, it’s nice to have company.” He said again before giving you a slight bow and disappearing back down the stairs.  
_____

Despite your enormous amount of sleep from that day, you were ready to crawl back into the bed and fall asleep for the evening. You slipped off your boots and laid back with a content sigh. Part of you had hoped Kai would keep you for ransom. Anything to stay in the safety of this strange room for as long as possible.

You were happy that your body clock was on your side the next morning. You were up and ready to go when Kai knocked on your door. You had even managed to find a brush and ribbon in the drawers so your hair was neatly tied up into a bun and ready for a day of riding. 

Kai had provided a delicious breakfast and even had prepared a lunch to bring with you. You smiled, he seemed excited to have something to do with himself. You couldn’t help but wonder what he did to entertain himself in this big castle all alone.

The two of you adjusted Angus’s saddle to make room for two. Kai didn’t have his own horse, but you assured him that your father would give him one to get back home safe. He chuckled at you as if he wasn’t worried about it at all 

The two of you climbed on to Angus and you were immediately aware of how close you had to sit together for such a long ride. Your back was firmly pressed against Kai’s firm chest. You tried to hide your blush and concentrated on Angus, who was not so happy to have Kai on his back. 

The three of you began your long trek into the forest. Try as you might, you were still hyper aware of Kai’s chest rocking into you with every step.

“Can I ask you a question?” He broke the silence.

You breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, “sure.”

“How did you manage to ride for so long and seemingly have no idea?”

You frowned, you were honestly surprised he hadn’t asked you this earlier. “Well, I might as well tell you this now.” You adjusted yourself a bit before continuing. “The king is not my real father. My real father was the king before him and died in battle a little over a year ago. My mother was forced to marry the current king if she wanted to remain queen. This king…well forgive my rude tone, but he is not a very nice man. He has a quick temper and likes to take it out on my mom and myself.”

You felt Kai tense up behind you. Your hands gripped tighter onto Angus’ reigns. “The night I ended up on your land I had gotten into an argument with him. I ran when he tried to hit me…”  
There was an awkward silence between the two of you and you sighed, “He won't be happy to see me home.”

“Well I’m glad I chose to come with you.” Kai finally spoke up. 

“If you want to just drop me off and leave I won't hold it against you.”

He chuckled, “I’ve had a great deal of experience with selfish kings. Let’s just say I know how to handle them.”

You were glad he was behind you and couldn’t see you get choked up. You were so grateful for this stranger Kai who had happened into your life.

The two of you stopped briefly for lunch and let Angus get some rest before continuing your trek to your home. The closer you got the more nervous you became. You knew the king would be upset to see you. He probably hoped the wolves had gotten you. Your mother was the only thing that kept you going.

The forest broke and you could see the entirety of the kingdom that you called home. As you took Angus to the stables, one of the guards had already seen you and sent someone over to investigate. “Princess!” The guard was clearly surprised to see you.

You let Kai help you down from Angus, who immediately went out into the field to munch on some grass. The guard was still staring at you in disbelief.

“We thought you were dead!” The guard spoke bluntly.

You rolled your eyes, not surprised that the kingdom had presumed your death. 

“Well clearly she’s alive and well. So maybe you should escort us into the castle so we can give her parents the good news?” Kai spoke up with authority next to you.

“Who are you?” The guard asked.

“He’s the reason I’m alive. Have you forgotten who you are speaking to?” You snapped.

The guard suddenly remembered his place and escorted you back up to the castle.

You found yourself clinging closely to Kai as you were taken to the king’s throne room. He slipped his hand over yours and gave it a quick squeeze before letting go as the doors were opened for the two of you.

You saw the frown on the king’s face, his eyes dark with a glare in your direction. You looked over at your mother and saw the relief on her face. When you got closer, she ran over to you and wrapped you up in a huge hug. You felt her tears in your hair and you blinked back your own tears You felt guilty for making her worry about you.

“We’re so glad you’re okay,” she told you as you pulled away.

You had to fight the urge to roll your eyes at her use of the word “we”. She glanced back at Kai and looked at you, “And this young man saved your life?”

You nodded and stepped aside, “This is Kim Jongin. He saved me from a wolf and gave me a place to stay.”

Kai stepped forward and gave your mother a bow.

“Tonight’s dinner will be in your honor,” she told him happily. She gave your hand a squeeze, “I’ll go inform the kitchen.” She was off in a hurry, excited to have something to keep herself busy.

You and Kai both turned to the king, he was still giving you a cold glare.

“Your majesty,” Kai stepped forward and bowed on one knee. “My name is Kim Jongin. I come from Dunshire in the North.” He stood up after his introduction and the king eyed him carefully.  
“I am sorry my daughter has caused you so much trouble,” he spoke slowly.

Kai shook his head, “No sire, it has been my pleasure to bring her back home safely.”

“Nevertheless, she has a tendency to stir up problems wherever she goes, I am sorry you had to come all this way.”

Kai shook his head again, “truthfully, your majesty, it was not a bother at all.”

The king sighed and ushered one of his guards over, “Bruce, will take you to your room so you can rest before dinner.”

You panicked, he was sending Kai away; leaving you alone with him.

“Sire,” Kai was sensing your fear, “perhaps I am being forward, but I would love to be escorted by the princess.”

The king stared at him as if he were crazy.

Kai gave the king a smirk that sent a chill down your spine, “perhaps I am looking for payment for my efforts?" 

You looked at him in shock. His cold brown eyes leered at you and you suddenly wished to be alone with the king instead.

The king chuckled and you blanched. Evil truly did attract evil. He waved his hand in dismissal. ”________,“ he spoke your name coldly. "You will escort Mr. Kim to his room and keep him company this evening.”

Kai took your hand, “come princess,” he spoke lowly. The look in his eyes truly scared you. Gone was your kind protector. You couldn’t believe he did all of this to use you. Why didn’t he just take advantage of you when you were alone at his castle? Was it more fun to humiliate you?

The two of you were still escorted by Bruce to the guest chambers. He pushed open the door and Kai led you inside, giving Bruce a wink as he did. The door was securely closed behind you and you yanked your hand away from his. “How dare you!” You snapped at him.

He clamped a hand over your mouth and slammed you against the door. “Quiet,” he murmured in your ear.

You groaned and tried to push him off of you. You managed to get away, but his arms were around your waist and he tossed you on the bed. “You will pay me back for my good deeds,” he practically yelled. You stared at him, hurt that he would betray you this way.

You tried to sit up off of the be, but he forced you back down and crawled over top of you. He pinned your fighting hands over your head with ease. “Listen to me,” he demanded in your ear. His tone was different so you stopped fighting him for the moment. You looked up at him and found his eyes soft again. “He’s listening,” he whispered and suddenly you got it.

Instead of leaving you alone with the king he was taking you for a presumably worse punishment. Bruce was to make sure the punishment was fulfilled.

You were so relieved that you immediately burst into tears. You slid your hands out of his grasp and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him into a tight embrace. “I hate you!” You choked out loudly, playing along with the act. You let go of Kai and wiped your tears away. “Sorry,” you whispered.

He sat up and sat next to you, making sure he caused the bed to creak under his weight. He made a few weird grunts and noises and held a hand up to tell you to be still.

He got up and silently walked over to the door, leaning close to listen. After a moment he walked back to you. “He’s gone,” he told you, “I’m sorry to have worried you like that, but I figured it was for the best.”

You sat up from the bed and sat next to him, “I’m sorry,” was all you could think to say. You felt terrible that he had been dragged into your problems.

He gave your leg a pat, “don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault he’s like that.”

You stood up, “well then. I guess I will leave you alone for now. I can come back and get you for dinner.”

He nodded and stood to walk you to the door. 

Before he could open the door you turned to him and pulled him into a hug. “Thank you for everything, Kai,” you whispered.

He chuckled and patted your back, “Your welcome, ________.” He told you with a grin.  
_____

You had never been more happy to sit in a tub full of hot water in your entire life. You sunk under the water and let it wash away your stress. You were so glad to change your dresses and be in fresh clean everything. You pulled your hair up in braids and put on one of your finer dinner dresses. The deep colors of your dress brought out the color of your eyes. You had some access to light make-up and put some blush on your cheeks and color on your lips. You stood in front of a mirror and smiled. You had wanted to look good for Kai. You knew you were growing fond of him, even though you shouldn’t be. He would probably leave to go home in the morning and you would never see him again. You shook off your depressing thoughts and headed to Kai’s room. You knocked on the door and had to remember to close your mouth when he stood in front of you. Apparently Kai cleaned up well. Real well. With his hair combed back and new clothes on him you really got a look at how handsome he was.

“You look…very nice,” he stuttered out, apparently taken back by your appearance as well.  
You smiled up at him, “Ready for dinner?”

He nodded vigorously, “famished.” He let you slide your hand in his arm and you led him to the dining hall.

“Remember to hate me,” he teased as you two headed down the long corridor.

You smirked, “or maybe you showed me what love really is and I don’t hate you at all. Let his stupid plan backfire.”

Kai cleaned his throat and you saw the blush on his cheeks.

“Sorry,” you immediately apologized, “too far?”

He smiled at you and you felt your heart skip a beat, “no, I rather like the idea of being that good.” He winked at you and you had to suppress a giggle as you came up to the dining hall.

The place was truly bustling with people, servants, music, and more food than you can remember seeing. Your mother had really outdone herself. You knew she was trying to get Kai to stay. You were sorry she’d be disappointed. 

The two of you began walking up to the head table after you were announced. You both bowed to the king and headed to your seats. You were sitting to the right of the king and Kai sat on the other side of you.

The king's eyes love into the side of your face, “I trust you enjoyed your afternoon, Kim Jongin?” He directed the question to Kai, but his eyes never left your face.

“It was one of my more enjoyable afternoons,” Kai answered, giving your thigh and obvious pat. 

You scowled, it was easy to play along when you saw the king leer at you out of the corner of your eye.

Luckily dinner was quickly sewed and you distract yourself with food. After dinner there was entertainment with music and dancing. You smiled as you watched everyone get up and dance and be merry. You were surprised when Kai came up to you and asked you to dance. He led you to the main floor you were surprised to find he could dance really well. He spun you around and you could see the people in the hall beginning to take notice of your handsome dance partner and his amazing moves. 

You got lost in the dance with him, his eyes were playful as he led you about the dance floor. You both smiled at each other, a bit out of breath as the song ended. The entire room erupted in applause and you felt a blush on your cheek that you two had ended up the center of attention.  
Your mother was a part of the applause with a huge smile on her face, but the king sat next to her with a look of disapproval. You slipped your hand into Kai’s and let him out of the hall and outside to get some fresh air.

“Where did you learn how to dance like that?” You asked him as you both leaned against the cool stone of the castle.

Kai shrugged, “I have always liked to dance.”

You looked over the hill and noticed the sun beginning to set, it lit the valleys around the land and it made everything glow. You smiled, “I love the sunsets here. Sometimes I just come sit out here and wait until sunset to watch it all the time.”

Kai looked up at the sun in shock and then looked at you, “Um, I am going to go for a walk, my stomach kind of hurts from all of the food I ate.”

You looked at him in question, “Oh…okay. Want me to go with—”

“No!” He cut you off, he walked quickly around the castle.

You watched him walked away, but curiosity got the better of you had you follow him down the hill and towards the stables. You watched Kai keel over and moan in pain and you got concerned, maybe the food was bad? You watched him run past the stables, falling as he did.  
You ran to the barn and peeked behind the corner, not wanting to embarrass him admits his stomach ache. What you saw was not what you expected. Kai laid down on the ground and groaned in pain, his body beginning to shake and with the sun falling behind the trees you had a hard time seeing the details of his body contorting in strange ways.

What stood up after a few moments was not Kai, but a huge black bear. You gasped and the bear immediately turned to look in your direction. You turned and ran as fast as you could towards the castle. You didn’t know what was happening, but you were smart enough to know to run away from a giant bear.

You could hear the animal running after you and you could see a guard up ahead. You yelled for him and he turned to look at you with a strange face. He walked up to you and you stopped, out of breath from running so far uphill. You turned around and in the dark of night you could see nothing behind you. “What the…” you muttered under your breath.

“Princess? Is everything okay?” The guard asked you, clearly concerned.

You nodded, “I’m sorry, I just got spooked by a noise.”

He looked skeptical, but let you continue up to the castle. You headed inside and towards your room. Someone grabbed your arm and you turned around to find Bruce staring down at you. “Where are you going?” His deep voice asked angrily.

You looked at him, confused, “to my room?”

He shook his head, “You were told to stay in the guest room tonight.”

You felt your face heat up. Bruce didn’t wait for you to answer, he dragged you down the halls of the castle and quite literally tossed you into Kai’s room. You looked around the empty room in relief. You could not believe the king was still having you tailed. And what would they think of Kai not being in here yet?

Speaking of which.

You laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. What had you seen? Was it truly Kai? Did he turn into…no, there was no way he could have turned into a bear. You rolled over onto your side and pulled the blankets over you, you were suddenly freezing. Your mind was racing over what happened outside. It had been such a trying day, you didn’t realize how quickly you drifted off to sleep.

You woke up when you felt the bed shifting underneath you. As your eyes slowly began to open you noticed the morning sunlight streaming through the castle windows. You rolled over to find yourself face to face with Kai. His brown eyes were boring into your own and you noticed the dark circles underneath them from lack of sleep. “You came back,” you stated simply, brushing some of his brown hair out of his eyes.

He broke into a smile, “I came back.” He told you. “You stayed.”

You found your own lips tugging into a smile as well. “I didn’t really have much of a choice.”

He chuckled, “Yeah. I saw Bruce roaming the hallways when I came in.”

“I thought for sure you wouldn’t come back,” you told him. “Especially since…” You broke off and blushed, unsure of how to go on.

He frowned at this, “You followed me.” He finished for you. He was still staring at you, his brown eyes were trying desperately to read you. 

“Tell me,” you urged him, “you can trust me. I promise.”

He smiled again, “I know I can trust you.” He sighed and rolled on to his back. You watched him drift off into his memories as he stared at the canopy on the bed above you. “The castle grounds I live in belonged to a horrible king like I told you before. He was a selfish ruler who only wanted power and money. He stomped on everyone who stood in his way. He didn’t even realize he was destroying his kingdom in the process. He found an old witch's cottage and paid her handsomely to give him a spell that would enable him more power. Instead she cursed him. Every night when the sun set he was to turn into a black bear. As a black bear he possessed so much power that he lost himself to the nature of the beast. He killed his family and most of his kingdom until soon there was nothing left. He was left alone, he had his kingdom, but that was all.”

You listened carefully as he spoke, “Were…are you the king?”

He nodded and turned his face to look at you, “That happened almost 100 years ago, ______. I’ve been stuck in that time, in that moment. Reliving what I did. I was a horrible person and I regret so many decisions I made. That’s why when I had the opportunity to help you I took it. I haven’t been able to be a decent human being for another in so long.”

You felt tears stinging your eyes and Kai rolled over and wiped an escape tear away. “Don’t cry.”

You sniffed back your tears, “I’m just so grateful that you have helped me so much. I wish I knew what I could do to help you break your curse.”

He smiled, “You’re too good of a person. Please don’t worry about me. I’ve accepted my fate quite some time ago.”

A knock on the door interrupted your thoughts and Kai climbed out of the bed and opened the door. One of the servants appeared with clothes for you both and a fresh basin of water to wash up with. “The king has requested your presence for breakfast,” she told Kai. You watched her blush furiously as he smiled and thanked her. He really didn’t know what his smile did to women.  
You climbed out of the bed and looked at the dress that she had brought you. When you turned around you gasped to see Kai standing near the bed without his shirt on as he changed his clothes. You admired his finely toned chest and back, your eyes traveled up to his face only to find him watching you. 

You blushed and turned around, “I’m so sorry, that was rude of me!”

You heard him laugh behind you, “Nonsense. We’ve been "lovers” remember?“ He teased you.

You stuck your hand in your face, trying to hide your red cheeks. You had forgotten the whole reason you were in his room to begin with. You felt his hand on your shoulder and he turned you to face him. "I’ll stand outside while you change, go ahead and come out when you’ve finished and we will head down to breakfast, okay?”

You nodded and as soon as he left you changed quickly. You knew how much the king hated to have to wait for you once he had given you orders. You left the room and both you and Kai left towards the dining hall once again. 

When you entered you found it much calmer than it had been the night before. Most of the kingdom were probably still in bed sleeping off their hangovers. You both walked up to the king’s table hand in hand, bowing to him before you took your seats. 

Your mother smiled sweetly at you as you took a seat next to the king and Kai on your other side as it had been the previous evening. The king immediately started conversing with Kai about land and war. He also discussed what Kai would need for his journey home later that day.  
You frowned into your porridge. The thought of Kai leaving was depressing. You knew as soon as he was gone things would go back to normal. The king hating you, picking fights with you, and your mother trying to smooth it all over. You thought of Kai’s story of how he used to be and you realized why he knew how to win the king over. He used to be just like him, power hungry and mean. 

“I’m glad she could be of some use to us finally,” the king chimed in. He threw an arm around you and squeezed so tightly that it made you wince.

Kai laughed, but you watched his hands clenching into fists under the table. You placed a gentle hand on his thigh to reassure him that you were okay. You were used to it.

Breakfast finished all too quickly and soon you were walking Kai to the castle doors with other guards who were taking him down to the stables to get him a horse and supplies for his ride home.

“Thank you for bringing her home safely,” your mother pulled Kai into a tight hug, “you are welcome to our kingdom any time.”

Kai smiled at your mom and bowed to the king, “thank you so much for your hospitality, your majesty.”

The king gave him a fake smile and nodded him away.

All eyes were on you as Kai looked at you with a smile, “it’s been fun, princess.” He told you, but his brown eyes were sad as he looked at you.

You wanted to beg him to stay, or better yet, take you with him. You wanted to hug him. You wanted to kiss his beautiful pouty lips. Your hands itched to hold on tight to him and never let go. Instead you bowed to him and stared at the ground, “Thank you for everything.” You spoke quietly. You felt the tears coming back and as soon as Kai turned to leave you rushed back into the castle.

As everyone entered the castle again the king put a firm hand on your shoulder and glared down at you. “You embarrassed me.” He promptly slapped you hard in the face, causing you to fall to the ground. “Do not ever leave this kingdom again without my permission. And if you ever go back to him I will kill you both.” He snapped his fingers and Bruce picked you up and dragged you down to your bedroom, tossing you inside. You heard the lock latch when the door was closed.

You were locked in your room and your face was already swelling from the hit. You knew the king would retaliate. There was no way Kai had smoothed things over for him. You laid in bed and began to cry, you had been a fool. You should have never let Kai save you. The wolf’s death would have been much sweeter.  
_____

It had been a little over a week since Kai had returned to his empty castle. He tried to busy himself how he used to; hunting, fishing, practicing fighting, etc. Try as he might, he could not stop thinking about you.

He thought he was doing something right by taking you home to your kingdom. He had gotten a bad vibe from the king, but he had hoped to have smoothed things over by pretending to sleep with you. However, when he left that day something didn’t sit right with him. He still had a bad feeling and after another restless night he decided to go back to your kingdom and check on you.

He didn’t know what he was going to say to you or the king. All he knew was that he needed to make sure you were okay. So he set way towards your kingdom, worry sunk in his heart the closer he got.

The guards did not look happy to see him arrive, and when he walked into the throne room he frowned to see you weren’t there. The king was glaring hard at him and he straightened his back as he walked towards him. 

“Your majesty,” he bowed and eyed the queen carefully. She was refusing to look at him and he knew something was definitely wrong. 

“Kim Jongin, we were not expecting to see you back here,” the king spoke directly. His kind tone he had used before was gone.

“Where is _______?” Kai asked him directly, but watched the queen’s response from the corner of his eye. She shifted in her seat and wrung her hands together restlessly. 

“Unfortunately she has left the grounds for some time. Visiting various suitors for marriage.” The king told him.

He didn’t believe him, but he was unsure of how to get past it. 

The queen sat up abruptly, causing both he and the king to jump. “I am going to go inform the staff for dinner. Kim Jongin, will we be expecting you?”

He looked at her curiously and shook his head to say no, “Thank you, but I was just passing through and wanted to make sure I said hello to _____. But since she’s not here I should be on my way. I have a long journey ahead of me,” he lied.

She nodded before leaving quickly.

He looked over at the king and frowned. “I don’t know what you’re doing, but I will be back.”

The king chuckled and shook his head, “Young man, I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He smiled at him and bowed before stalking out of the throne room. As he stepped into the corridor he was stopped by one of the queen’s handmaidens. She gave him a stern look and ushered him to follow her.

She led him towards the queen’s quarters, but turned sharply before arriving. She entered the servant’s halls and rushed him down, stopping at an opening in front of a door. “She’s in there.” She spoke softly before rushing away.

He looked out into the hallway and saw a guard sitting in front of the door. He waited for his back to be turned before he walked up to him and knocked him into the wall. The guard was immediately unconscious and slid to the floor.

Kai dragged his body into the servant’s hall where it was out of sight and then proceeded into your room.  
______

You had had little to no food for over a week, and barely any water. You were dying, you decided, as you lay in bed and stared at your window. You could see the sun move up and down each day, but time bled together. You were so weak you could no longer move.  
Every now and then a maiden would come in and clean you. She’d dress you and change your bedding before putting you back to bed, cold and starving. You found it ironic that you were allowed to die slowly, but you were to be kept clean in the process. 

You discovered the lowest pits of depression. You grew hate towards everyone around you. And you often wondered what on earth the king was holding over your mother’s head that kept her from protecting you; her only child. 

You were literally in hell.

The door was opened to your room and again, but you didn’t bother looking. Though it did surprise you that the maidens were earlier than they had been previously. 

”______?” 

You smiled at the sound of Kai’s voice. You were hearing him more often than not. If you were lucky you dreamed of him. He was becoming your favorite past time to think about and your only solace. 

”______? Are you breathing?” 

You felt a weight shift on your bed and you assumed you had hit a point of hallucination. Now you thought the maidens were Kai. You were really going to die. It was oddly peaceful.

”_____! Please say something!” 

Your body was shaking and you looked at the person you hallucinated strangely. Usually the hallucinations couldn’t move you, and the maidens were not this rough. “Who are you?”

He frowned at you, his beautiful brown eyes were so sad and you reached out to stroke his face. “It’s me, Kai. Do you really not remember?”

You shook your head. “No, I know who Kai is. I just don’t know who you are. Kai is gone. So you must be someone else. Hallucinations do the strangest things. You even feel like him.”

He had grabbed your hand and you smiled as he brought it to his lips. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have left you here.” He looked around him, “I have to figure out how to get you out of here.”  
Your wits were slowly coming back to you. “Kai? Is it really you this time? So many times you came in here to save me. I can’t dream it again, it hurts too much.” You started to cry. “He keeps me alive, just barely. And I just want to die, Kai. It would be easier, you know? To just die. Instead I lay here and dream of you saving me like a stupid fairy tale.” You felt your body being lifted and your head was pressed against a firm chest.

“You even smell like him,” you cried, grabbing onto the clothes and breathing them in. “I just thought maybe since magic existed. Witches curses were real. Maybe fairy tale endings could happen.”

His hands were running over your hair, “______, you silly girl. It’s me. It’s really me. I came back.”

You sat up abruptly and looked over his face. You cupped your hands over his cheeks and then he smiled.

All those times you imagined him, he wouldn’t smile. The smile that made your heart flutter. In all of your dreams and hallucinations he never would smile for you. Even in your deepest subconscious you couldn’t summon those gorgeous lips. Seeing smile now, it woke you up.   
“It is you,” you said in disbelief.

He kissed you and you thought for sure if you really did die you would die happy. His lips finally on yours in such a soft way that made you warm all over. His hands wrapped tightly around your waist and held you close to him as his mouth moved expertly against yours. You couldn’t help but whimper against his lips, you couldn’t believe he was actually here.

He pulled away slowly and smiled down at you, “I told you it was me,” he said quietly.

You wrapped your arms around his middle and hugged him, “I can’t believe you came back for me,” you whispered into his chest.

He hugged you tight before pulling away again, “How long have you been this way?” He asked you seriously.

You frowned, “since you left. He immediately threw me in here. I have no idea how long it’s been.”

He matched your frown, “It’s been over a week. I knew something was off.” He got up and searched through your room. He began throwing dresses at you. “Get dressed,” He walked over to the window and you knew he was trying to see what time it was.

You stood up for the first time in days and your legs immediately gave out, sending you to the floor in an ungraceful heap. 

Kai rushed to your side and helped you back to the bed. “You’re so pale,” he said with disdain, “we need to find you something to eat.”

You nodded and slowly and your shaking hands reached for the dresses on the bed. You were only in your nightgown, but you were too weak to care about modesty. “How are we going to leave?” You asked him. “I..I can’t walk, I’m too weak." 

He ran his hand through your hair, "I’ll carry you. Here,” he took the dresses from you. “Let’s get you dressed and pull your hair out of your eyes. Then we will formulate a proper plan.”

Kai helped you get dressed, making sure to keep his face neutral while he slid your nightgown over your shoulders and brought the dresses down over your head. You had lost so much weight that your rib cage was showing under your thin skin. Your dresses that once fit you perfectly now hung loosely over your body. With the help of Kai, you were able to use some ribbons to tighten them up and keep them where they needed to be.

He pulled your cloak over your shoulders and helped your tie your hair back so it wouldn’t fall in your face. “Now,” he told you, lacing his fingers with yours and giving them a gentle squeeze. 

The gentle acts of changing your clothes had brought you near exhaustion and you rested your head on his shoulder while he spoke. “I think I can get us down to the grounds without being seen. It’s getting out of the kingdom without a guard seeing us that is the problem. I don’t know who knows about you or if the king told some of them the same lie he told me.”

He stood up in front of you and you noticed he was dressed for fighting. He had on a thick leather chest piece and his sword was firmly attached to his hip. You looked up at him and were struck by his handsome features all over again. “I think the best way would be for me to carry you on my back. Do you think you can handle holding on that way?”

You nodded, you may be weak, but you were going to do everything in your power to escape your prison.

Kai knelt in front of the bed and you climbed on to his back, wrapping your arms around his neck. He hooked his hands under your knees and situated you comfortably for him. You took a moment to snuggle against his back and relish in his warmth. Once you both left your bedroom door your future would be left in the hands of fate.

Kai carried you to the door and opened it slowly to peer out. The guard he knocked out was still hidden away and no one had come to check on him yet. He slid into the servant’s halls and used their entrances to move through the castle. 

You had often played with these hidden hallways and doorways when you were younger so together the two of you navigated through the castle with ease. You finally reached the exit near the kitchen and you both paused by the door.

Your breathing grew rapid with anxiety of leaving the castle and having to escape from the grounds. You knew guards were positioned all over, you only hoped you’d both be able to move past them.

Just then a thunderous voice boomed from the kitchen doors. “What do you mean she wasn’t there?”

It was the king, but what was he doing in the kitchen? 

“I know it was you, you bitch. You told him didn’t you?” You heard the horrific sound of skin meeting flesh and you heard your mother cry out in pain.

This caused you to flinch and hide your face into Kai’s back. 

“They couldn’t have made it very far, I want everyone looking for them!” He demanded.

You heard people rushing around and foot steps came towards the servant’s entrance of the kitchen. The door opened to reveal the head cook. She stared at you both with a blank face before closing the door behind her. 

When the door was shut she removed an apple from her apron. Being the chef, she always had some sort of food on her. She handed Kai the apple and squeezed your arm. “Good luck, love.” She told you before rushing off down the halls. 

You both breathed a sigh of relief. Clearly you weren’t the only ones who did not agree with how the king was treating you. 

Kai adjusted you on his back. “We’re going to have to run for it,” he whispered. He hesitated before opening the kitchen door. The room had been cleared out and you both moved quickly through the huge room. He stopped and grabbed a loaf of bread and you stuck it in the satchel you had around your waist.

He carried you over to the door to exit the castle and peeked out. The grounds were covered in guards and Kai let out a frustrated noise. “I think I’m going to have to fight my way through. Which means I’m going to have to leave you in here.” He turned around and headed over to a counter, ducking behind it and setting you down on the floor. He looked over at you and you knew he was trying not to seem worried.

He pulled your face close to his own and left a loving kiss on your lips. “I’ll get you out of here, I promise.” He whispered.

Just then a low chuckle echoed through the kitchen. You looked behind Kai with terror in your eyes.

The king was standing behind him, his sword was drawn and he held it in position to fight. “What a lovely scene of such a terrible couple.” He spat.

Kai spun on his heel and his sword was out in a flash. “Good, I can skip the foreplay and get right to it.” He told the king lowly. Kai was hunched over as he held his sword and the look on his face scared you.

The king continued smiling, not phased by Kai’s threats. He underestimated him, though, as Kai immediately dove towards him and you watched in fear as the fight commenced.

Guards were rushing into the kitchen as soon as the commotion was heard, but none of them stepped in as the two kings fought for power over each other. 

Kai was an excellent fighter, but the king was still young enough to hold his own. Their swords clinked together as the two never lost an ounce of adrenaline to their battle. 

The king swung at Kai’s side and you heard him gasp in pain as he was just barely grazed. Blood clung to the king’s sword and he let out an evil laugh. With Kai temporarily down, the king marched over to you, holding his sword over his head to strike you.

You squeezed your eyes shut, afraid of what was going to happen next. You heard the clink of the swords again and you saw Kai use a defensive move to block the sword. Together the two struggled to break the other’s stance. A strange glow erupted from the swords and you watched the air around the two begin to shimmer.

The guards were muttering admits each other and you realized that they saw it too. As the air around them shook Kai was beginning to earn the upper hand and push the king down towards the ground. 

You watched in awe as Kai stood over the king, their swords still attached and the king groaned in pain. His body was convulsing and you saw his limbs begin to bend and contort in strange ways. In what seemed like a blink of your eyes the king had transformed into an enormous black bear.

He stood up and let out a growl that rumbled the ground you were sitting on. 

Kai didn’t hesitate, as the bear stood up and swung back a paw, Kai stuck his sword into the bear’s chest.

The bear looked down at his chest then back at Kai before he fell to the ground and roared in pain. Kai pulled his sword out and shoved it into the furry body again and you closed your eyes, unable to watch the bear stop moving for good.

As silence filled the room you heard the guards gasp in shock as the bear’s body shimmered before turning back into the king, who was now lying dead before them all.

You opened your eyes and looked up at your breathless rescuer. He rushed over to you and you pulled him into his arms. “Wha…what happened?” You asked him in confusion.

“I don’t know. I think the curse transferred to him. I feel…I feel different.” He answered you breathlessly.

You heard the guards shuffling around and looked up to see your mother walking into the kitchen with the head chef. Her face was already purple from the strike she had gotten not long before. She stared down at the dead king in disgust. “It is clear what happened here.” She spoke loudly enough for everyone to listen, her voice was firm. “A bear got loose in the castle. It’s unfortunate that our brave king was no match for the black bear.”

The guards stared at her in shock. Soon, one by one, each of the guards bowed down before your mother who stood with her back straight in the center of the room.

You realized now that all of the employees of the castle were here when your father reigned. 

Their loyalty was to your mother, their queen.

Your mother walked over to you and knelt down, stroking your face gently. “My dear child,” her eyes filled with tears, “please forgive me. I wanted to badly to save you. I tried everything in my power,” she choked back a sob and you both held each other closely.

She pulled back and placed a gentle hand on Kai’s cheek. “You saved my daughter, I owe you my life.”

Kai smiled softly at her, “I love you daughter, your majesty. I would save her a thousand times over.”

She smiled broadly at him and then back at you. “I’ve been reading the laws of this kingdom a lot in the past year. I know how to bring justice back to our fair kingdom.” Your mother told you with a smile.

And you knew, with the smiles of your mother and Kai, that your fairy tale ending was happening after all.

You stared at yourself in the mirror in disbelief. You could not believe this was actually happening to you. It was your wedding day. You were about to marry the love of your life, someone who you had least expected. 

Following the king’s death your mother had taken over the throne. She turned the kingdom around as your father had it before. She promised you the throne as soon as you married.  
What you didn’t expect to happen was immediately become engaged to Kai. He stayed in the kingdom with you. His curse had been lifted and the two of you grew close. He soon proposed to you, and today was the day.

You were standing in front of the church doors. Your mother was with you, you opted for her to walk you down the aisle. The two of you had also grown closer in your relationship. She smiled at you as the doors opened to the enormous church. 

You had never remembered seeing so many people in your life as they all stood and looked in your direction. You walked forward, determined to get to the front. The second you both saw each other your lips curled into huge smiles. 

Kai looked so handsome with his new robes, his hair was combed back neatly, and of course his smile melted your heart. You barely registered anything the priest said to you both as you stood there and married the man of your dreams.

You both decided to spend the weekend after the wedding at Kai’s old castle. It felt weird returning after all you had been through. Not only that, but Kai led you to his old chambers. You felt like you were getting to see a new part of him that you hadn’t seen before. That, and it was your honeymoon.

Kai immediately tackled you to the bed, smothering your face in his kisses. You giggled and pushed him away, “I can’t breath!” You told him in between kisses. 

He was relentless and his kisses trailed down your jaw to your neck. You discovered they were quickly leaving innocent and becoming more lasting. Your breath hitched as he bit you and sucked on the sensitive part of your neck and shoulder. 

Kai sat up, his eyes hooded, “I love you so much, ______.” His voice was husky as his lips found yours once again. 

You smiled against his lips, “I love you too.”

His hands began to rifle through your skirts, “How does it feel to be married?”

You began to help him with the enormity that was your wedding dress. “I don’t know,” you mused, “maybe I will feel more different when we consummate the thing.”

The smirk your new husband gave you made your stomach flip and your heart flutter excitedly. You both helped each other get out of the many layers of clothing until you were both laying naked in the bed.

Kai kissed you passionately, his tongue massaged yours and his hands explored your naked body. His fingers brushed over your nipples and caused you to whimper against his lips. His hand quickly moved south in between your legs. You moaned as he stroked your clit slowly, working you up in a teasing way. 

Your own hands explored his muscular chest and stomach. You wrapped your fingers around his erection and stroked it gently, earning yourself a moan from him. 

You couldn’t take it anymore, you pushed him to his back and climbed on top of him. You straddled his waist and positioned yourself right on top of him and slowly slid your body down. You moaned at the pleasure of him filling you up inside and your nails dug into his chest as your supported yourself.

Kai grabbed a hold of your waist and soon your two fell into rhythm. You bent forward and kissed him on his lips, then moved down to his neck and collarbone. You left love bites on his chest and moaned against his skin.

Kai rolled you over and hovered over top of you. He lifted himself up and spread your legs further for him. As he pumped deeper inside of you, you arched your back and moaned his name. You felt yourself growing closer to orgasm.

His movements grew faster and his moans echoed yours. He placed a hand on either side of your face and buried his face in your neck. You felt him hit his orgasm and immediately hit your own.

You arched your back against him as he bit your neck. He rolled over next to you, his hand draped over your waist. You both lay together to catch your breath.

Kai placed gentle kisses along on your shoulder and arm. “How about now? How is married life?”

You laughed and rolled over to face him and kiss his lips. “I think I could get used to it…”

He smiled back at you and nipped at your lips. “I love you, wife.”

“I love you too, husband.” You kissed him a bit harder before crawling over to his waist again. 

“Let’s work on that consummation thing again,” you murmured against his mouth.

He chuckled and his hands slid up your thighs, “Again,” he answered.


End file.
